Budget day for eight Scottish councils facing funding gaps

Eight more of Scotland's 32 councils are poised to make their final budget decisions.

Aberdeen, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Moray, North Ayrshire, Perth & Kinross, South Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire will set budgets for the year ahead.

Cuts to local services and increases in council tax are likely as authorities grapple with major funding gaps.

A council tax rise of 10% has been recommended in Aberdeen, after the same percentage rise was approved in Orkney.

On Tuesday councillors in Dumfries and Galloway raised council tax by 6%; in East Lothian it will increase by 7%.

Individual local authorities across Scotland have shortfalls ranging from around £7m to £120m, according to research published by the BBC earlier this month.

Council tax only generates about 13% of local government funding, with most of their cash coming from the Scottish government.

Councils have faced a long term squeeze on their finances and argue that they are underfunded.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced an extra £100m for councils last week, which he said equated to a 3% real-terms increase.

There will be a Scottish government-led debate at Holyrood on Wednesday focusing on the issue of local government finance.

Aberdeen City Council has revealed it needs to make savings of £46.6m to balance its books.

The list of savings options includes plans to cut £160,000 of funding to VisitAberdeenshire.

The tourism agency is funded by the city and Aberdeenshire councils, along with economic development partnership Opportunity North East.

The recommended 10% increase in council tax would see a Band D property paying £1,560.48, up from £1,418.62, from 1 April - a rise of £141.86.

In East Renfrewshire, there is already a £40 charge, on top of council tax, for households that want garden waste removed. This could go up to £50 or £60.

The council has decided to sell its distinctive civic number plate HS 0 to the highest bidder, with experts estimating it could be worth £150,000-£250,000.

Council tax is set to increase by a "higher than normal" amount, while school support staff could be axed as the council faces an £18m black hole.

Cuts to winter maintenance and roads management budgets have also been put forward.

Council bosses in Falkirk are set to use cash for paying off privately built secondary school debt to free up £15m to help deal with a £60m budget shortfall.

The "technical" change in how the council pays for the construction of the high schools will allow it to set its budget without drastically slashing services.

The change, approved this year by the Scottish government, effectively means that local authorities can now spread the cost of payments for any public-private finance projects over the length of the building's expected life, rather than the length of any contract.

Falkirk Council has agreed in principle to offload up to 133 ageing properties, a list that includes Polmonthill ski centre and Bo'ness recreation centre, while the future of Grangemouth stadium is also uncertain.

Council tax in Moray could go up by 5% from April, meaning a band D bill could rise by just over £68 a year to £1,430.

Around £28m needs to be found over the next two financial years. Plans include using just under £14.77m in Covid reserves to balance the books.

There is also a proposal to increase temporary accommodation charges by 27%. Another proposal would see a 10% rise in the cost of burying the dead, with charges for the interment of local adults set to rise from £949 to £1,044.

In North Ayrshire, the Arran outdoor education centre could be closed to save cash.

Around 200 full-time equivalent jobs could go at Perth and Kinross Council over the next three years.

A raft of cuts have been proposed as council bosses attempt to fill a £31m funding shortfall.

While teachers themselves have been protected from cuts by the Scottish government, schools could still be among the worst hit.

Recommended savings include removing all school crossing patrollers, stopping primary swimming lessons, closing breakfast clubs and raising the price of school meals.

South Ayrshire Council has to find £37.8m in savings over the next three years.

The council has has kept its cards close to its chest but warned of difficult choices, given it has already spent around £7.5m more than it budgeted for last March.

This is largely ascribed to spiralling inflation and a 50% increase in energy prices as well as higher than expected staff pay settlements.

In West Dunbartonshire, Dalmuir Library could be moved within Dalmuir community centre under proposals to plug the council's £21.6m budget gap.

Balloch, Duntocher, Parkhall and Faifley libraries also face being co-located or closed.

Options to increase council tax between 3% and 12% will also be presented to members but as it stands a rise of 3.4% is expected to be agreed.

The council is also thinking about reducing the opening hours of its recycling centres.